Combat the Holiday Blues With These Tips

According to an early 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General, almost half of adults in the country have experienced loneliness. During the holidays, loneliness, stress and burnout can be real problems. Some call this the holiday blues.

Though there's no magic trick to break out of the holiday blues, there are some tips that can help.

We've gathered some tips and reminders to help you get through the holidays:

• Take a walk in nature. According to the Mental Health Foundation, being in nature really does help.
• Take a timeout whenever you start to get overwhelmed. Timeouts aren't just for little kids. Walk away for a bit or hide in the bathroom. Give yourself time to breathe.
• Do something you don't think you have time for. Sleep in or take a long hot bath with tea or cocoa. Then, cut something from your to-do list or delegate it to someone else. 
• Text or call a best friend or family member and take a walk down memory lane.
• Do something fun that you loved as a child, like play with playdough or read a beloved book from the children’s section in the library.
• Step away from social media. Those "perfect" holiday posts by influencers can make you feel not good enough.
• Read some fiction. Get your head out of your life and into a fictional world for a little bit. Don't have time to read? Grab a book the next time you feel like scrolling social media.
• Give yourself grace. Everything doesn’t need to be perfect, including YOU!

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